Last Updated on 01/14/2026 by Chris Gampat
At this year’s Imaging USA conference, Evoto AI caused quite the controversy with its “accidental” release of their latest AI “photography” product – Evoto AI Headshot Generator. Evoto AI has been aggressively pitching its software to photographers for several years, leveraging the goodwill and reputation of established professional photographers to establish trust in the company’s intentions. This “accidental” release might reveal what Evoto AI was trying to do all along – replace photographers with AI slop.
Evoto AI’s Headshot Generator Controversy
During this past week’s Imaging USA Conference in Nashville, Evoto AI was rightly called out for launching a new AI Headshot Generator product, which, as its name suggests, will spit out a “corporate headshot” with any selfie you upload. Further infuriating several photographers was the very intentional deployment of an FAQ page, which was shared by photographer and YouTuber, Sal Cincotta — a photographer with a fairly questionable past. In the screenshot in the video, Evoto plainly made its pitch clear (emphasis added):
Q: How does an AI PFP maker or headshot creator compare to a traditional headshot studio?
A: It’s faster (seconds vs. days), cheaper (cuts studio costs), and more flexible. It’s an online business headshot near you. You can generate headshots or profile photos anytime [sic], with no bookings needed, and achieve similar pro-level quality.
Needless to say, many of the pro photographers who have been purchasing the Evoto AI editing software had much to say. In fact, photographers, Evoto ambassadors, and the company’s paying customers have loudly rebuked Evoto AI for this latest round of aggression toward working photographers. The pushback was so loud and immediate, the company had no choice but to formally address the backlash on their Facebook Group page:
We want to be clear: We missed the mark, and we are sorry.
As a tech company, we often test the boundaries of what’s possible. However, we realize that by testing a tool that generates images from scratch, we crossed a line. Evoto was built to handle the heavy lifting of retouching – not a tool that replaces the person behind the lens.
As of today, we have permanently removed the Al Headshot Generator. We also want to address the rumors regarding your data. This is our “ironclad” promise to you:
Your photos are yours. We do not use your images or your clients’ images to train our Al models.
Our training is ethical. We source our data exclusively through commercially licensed and purchased imagery.
Even with this half-hearted apology, many of the company’s followers were not buying it:
In your FAQ you sell it as a cheaper alternative to using a professional photographer.
The functionality to upload a selfie and receive a finished headshot in return was fully functional. Yet, you say this was just a pilot? Come on Evoto.
It looks to me like you wanted to have your cake and eat it too. But in so doing you alienated and angered your loyal customer base. I’ve been a customer almost since inception and I’ve noticed that Evoto’s business practices seem to be coming more questionable.
It’s no surprise that, as of this writing, the original apology post has been closed for comments. Evoto AI bit the hand that was feeding it; now it’s hoping you’ll ignore the facts and believe that they made an oopsie.
Another Inflection Point on Big Tech’s War Against Talent
One of the biggest points of pride for me in being part of The Phoblographer is that this has always been a publication and organization of people reporting for the benefit of others, specifically photographers or those interested in becoming one. We’ve been sounding the clarion call on big business’s attempt to reduce the hard, creative work of photographers into a commodity. What was once the realm of premium work by individuals who had mastered their craft is now being sold and packaged as “available in seconds, not days.” While I will never fault any photographer for finding ways to maximize their productivity or even help keep their business/livelihood sustainable, news like this week’s Evoto AI product fumble always feels like a case of the leopards eating someone’s face. These companies are not your friends, and we need to stop promoting products that openly state they aim to replace photographers and other creative professionals.
Unfortunately, the R&D has already been done on this AI slop machine. It’s already gotten more views than it deserves. And if we’re being totally honest with ourselves, it’s very likely that Evoto AI will either repackage it under a new name in the future, or simply sell it or spin it off. Either way, they’ve fucked over the very customer who made the product successful in the first place.